Rookie
by ItalicsInIndigo
Summary: This is Holly's story, back before the existance of the brave officer we all know.This is how one uncertain elf girl becomes a woman, and becomes a legend.
1. Day One

A quick note:

Sorry this was such a mess before! I just edited it and put all the dividers in. I'd also like to say a HUGE thank you to all my reviewers. I'll thank you properly in the next chapter, but for now, I just wanted you to know how much your comments mean to me: )

Disclaimer: I don't own Artemis Fowl

* * *

_"Congestion warnings on the Boulevard of Kings leading up to Elm Avenue…"_

Holly Short groaned and buried her head under her pillow, hand grasping blindly for the off button on her radio alarm clock.

_"Westbound through to Main Street…"_

"Shut up!" she moaned, slapping it until it fell silent. Holly sighed with contentment and snuggled further into her bed.

"I beg your pardon?"

Holly squinted through the folds of her blanket. "Mum? 'S too early," she mumbled sleepily.

Ivy Short pulled back the sheets from her daughter's head. "Get up, lazy. It's almost midnight already."

"It's the summer!"

"And you're not a little kid any more! Your womanhood ceremony is only a few months away, and you'll be starting at the Academy soon. Not to mention moving out. And not too soon, either!"

"I bet I didn't even get accepted into the Academy," muttered Holly into her pillow.

"Stop being so pessimistic all the time. You have more talent than you know."

Holly snorted.

"Well go find out, then. Your letter arrived earlier."

Holly sat bolt upright. "What? The Academy letter?"

"It's on the kitchen tab-"

Holly leapt out of bed, sending sheets sliding to the floor and leaving her mother shaking her head wryly. She dashed down the hall of their apartment, skidding to a halt on the wooden kitchen floor.

Larch Short calmly looked up from his cup of coffee. "It's by the toast rack," he said casually. Although his face was relaxed, his fingers gripped the mug so hard that the mech-digits showed through the skin-spray. He knew how much this meant to her. After all, it had been his own dream once.

Holly sat down on the chair next to him, fingers trembling so much that she almost couldn't open the big white envelope. The paper was embossed with the golden acorn logo. She stared at it, too scared to look at the text below.

"Well?" prompted her father.

She took a deep breath and quickly scanned the letter. Larch watched her slump and hang her head, but not before he saw the glisten of tears in her eyes.

"Oh, sweetheart," he said gently, "It's alright."

Holly raised her face, wearing a bold grin. "No, Dad!" she laughed, "It's OK! I got in!"

* * *

"That's awesome," said Bryony Woods, Holly's best friend since kindergarten. "But I can't believe you didn't think you'd get in. Of course you got in. How could anybody as obsessed as you_ not_ get in?" 

Holly threw herself onto her bed, mobile phone clutched to her ear. "I don't know, Bry. I was just so nervous. I've always wanted to follow in my Dad's footsteps and make him proud of me. If I hadn't have gotten in, I wouldn't have known what to do."

"Of course. Larch Short, the famous LEP Recon Commander. I guess we can safely say you inherit your personality from him. Except for your tendency to hit people. That's your mother, through and through. Frond knows, if she was my mother, I'd be too scared of her to ever get in any trouble."

Holly laughed. "Anything the LEP can dish out will be cake compared to a lecture from my Mum."

"How are your parents, anyway? I haven't seen them for ages."

"Mum's fine. She loves her work at the hospital. Dad's OK too, although I think he misses his LEP days, and his old injuries play up a lot. He's working on his latest book. Some kind of crime thriller, I think."

"Cool. Hey, look, you know we were talking about renting a flat together? You still want to do that?"

"Of course I do!"

"Well, I found a great apartment, close to the city centre. It's a little small, but it's got everything we need. And it's pretty cheap, too."

"It sounds great," said Holly, rolling over onto her stomach. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror on the wall, wiggling her feet at her mirror-self.

Bryony's voice dropped to a more serious tone.

"I can't believe we're already old enough to leave home, Holly. You're going to the Academy. I'm going to get my teaching degree. We're both going to have our womanhood ceremonies soon. But I still feel like a kid."

Holly scrutinized her reflection. A thin young elf with permanently tousled short auburn hair looked back. That girl didn't look old enough to be out on her own. That girl didn't really feel old enough to be out on her own, however eager to start her own life she was. "I know, Bryony. I feel exactly the same way."

"I guess it's a good thing that we have each other, then."

"We'll have each other," Holly promised. "Always."

* * *

Holly felt unsteady on her feet as she gazed up at the imposing façade of the Academy. A million butterflies were fighting it out in her stomach. 

"Oh, Frond." she said quietly.

"Hey girl, move it!" shouted a voice.

Holly jumped out of the way as a group of young fairies a little older than her swept up the steps. Most of them were too busy talking to notice her, but a broad-shouldered elf in the middle winked in her direction.

She snuck a glance behind her to check that someone else wasn't standing there. There wasn't. Who was that guy?

Another yell brought her out of her musings.

"Rookie! Get that vacant look off your face and get in the building! Training is about to begin!"

Oops. One day into the training and already she was falling behind.

"Yessir!" she called back, and ran into the building.

* * *

"Name" droned the secretary. 

Holly cleared her throat. "Holly," she said proudly, "Holly Short".

The secretary paused to look her up and down, the pink beehive wobbling precariously on top of her head.

"Hmmm", she said, in the manner of someone inspecting a bug they've just crushed under their shoe. She eventually pointed her tiny pixie manicure over at the next table.

"Getcha uniform over there. Ladies changing room is down the hall, to the left. Don't be all day about it."

Holly beamed her brightest smile, and skipped down the hallway. "Bitter old bag," she muttered, as soon as the pixie was out of earshot. She snatched a pack of three Cadet's uniforms from the pile on the table, together with a pair of boots and some training clothes.

The Ladies changing room was already occupied by a handful of fairies, two chattering cadets and a older elf, her face obscured by a mane of dark red hair as she fastened her boots. One of the cadets, an elf with perfectly curled blonde hair, turned at the sound of the door closing. She flicked her heavily made-up blue eyes up and done the whole of Holly's body, weighing up the competition. Holly clutched her clothes a little more tightly to her chest, feeling somehow violated.

The blonde elf smiled, baring her gleaming white teeth. "Well, what do we have here?" she said, tilting her head to the side.

"Uh, I'm Holly Short," Holly replied, straightening up to her full height. All one hundred centimeters of it. The elf stuck out her hand, the nails painted a delicate pearly pink. "Charmed, I'm sure. I'm Lili Frond. That's _Frond_, you know, like the Kings?" She let out a bell-like laugh. "Why, I'm practically royalty!"

"Great," said Holly through gritted teeth, shaking the elf's limp hand.

"This is my good friend, Iris," said Lili imperiously, waving a hand at the dark-haired elf behind her. One look told Holly that there would be no bonds of sisterly friendship between her and this girl. She was clearly Lili's minion, right down to the carbon-copy lipstick.

Holly sighed internally. As silly as it now sounded to herself, she had been hoping that maybe, just maybe, she'd find a friend here, someone to talk to and laugh with, someone who would know exactly what she was going through. Instead she'd gotten two shiny plastic dolls. Harmless, but annoying. "So…" she said, trying to find a polite way of saying what was on her mind, which was, of course,_ why the hell would two complete bimbos like you want to join the LEP?_

Fortunately Lili beat her to it.

"What brings you here, Holly?" she asked, tossing back her curls. "I'm just here for all the fit guys, of course! And I reckon this job will be a breeze, me being practically a princess, after all! I'm going to be the darling of the LEP, until I can get married and settle down somewhere with a rich husband!"

Iris poked her head round Lili's body. "She means that her father gambled away all the family's money," she said in a mock whisper.

Holly watched the smile freeze on Lili's face for a moment, her eyes becoming two pools of blue horror framed by false lashes. Then Lili composed herself, forcing the smile back onto her face.

_I feel almost sorry for her_, thought Holly. _Especially if she's not intelligent enough to realise that she shouldn't be hanging around with a 'friend' like Iris_.

Holly dumped the training clothes in an empty locker, shaking out the folding uniform. It was a particularly nasty shade of sludge green.

She could feel Iris's eyes on her as she got changed, searching for flaws she could giggle about later. Holly tried to ignore it, but she couldn't help a seed of self-consciousness from lodging inside her chest. So she wasn't tall and curvaceous like Lili, but she wasn't chopped liver either. And she'd prefer a brain over a beautiful face any day. But still…

She stood up, examined herself in the mirror, and quickly established that the Cadet uniform had been specially designed to be as unflattering to the wearer as was physically possible. It managed to be simultaneously too tight in some areas, too loose in others, and a shade that was totally unbecoming to whatever skin tone it found itself up against.

Holly sighed. _It's only for four years,_ she thought. _You can deal with that, Short. Whatever it takes._

She snuck a look at the other girls, slipping out of the door. Lili managed to look willowy and glamorous in her uniform, although she had unzipped the front down to an eyebrow-raisingly far distance. Holly looked down at her own chest.

_Over my dead body,_ she thought.

"Don't let yourself be put off, especially not by those two," said a voice. Holly glanced up, to find that the older elf in the corner had straightened up and was smiling wryly at her.

Holly gasped. It was Wing Commander Vinyáya! _Vinyáya!_ The elf who had single-handedly inspired herself, and many other girls, to join the LEP. She was feminism's face. She was also one of Holly's heroines, something bright and distant to aspire to.

"You're going to have to be strong if you want to make it here," continued Vinyáya, "and people are going to try to bring you down. Especially the guys. Frond, some of the men here are so insecure about their own masculinity. But you seem like a tough cookie, so I'll spare you the touchy-feely sympathy and get to the point. You're going to have to work twice as hard to get half as far, but if you make it, it's worth it. It is _so_ worth it. Trust me on that."

"I will" whispered Holly.

Vinyáya winked at her. "Atta girl. I'm going to be your flight instructor for the next four years, so just keep up that attitude and we'll get along nicely. Our first lesson is tomorrow, so we'll see just what you've got then."

Then, with a wave, and a swish of fiery hair, she was gone. Holly sat rooted to her seat, staring after her.

_Vinyáya winked at me. Maybe this won't be too bad, after all._

"WHERE THE DEVIL ARE ALL MY RECRUITS?" bellowed a voice. Holly leapt to her feet and raced out the door. _Oops_.

* * *

Holly took a deep breath, and pushed open the door to the LEP personnel gymnasium. This was it. Her training was about to commence. Her first step on the road to Recon. Her first step into the rest of her life. Her first- 

Something huge and hairy picked her up by her shoulders and slammed her into the wall, knocking all the air out of her lungs. Holly wheezed and blinked up into the face of a quite remarkably ugly gnome.

"_NEVER_ RUN INTO AN UNSECURED BUILDING DURING A FIREFIGHT!" he barked, shaking her a little for extra emphasis.

"O…okay!" she gasped.

The gnome squinted threateningly at her and dropped her to her feet. She scooted away as quickly as she could without actually running, tugging her uniform back into shape. Behind her, she heard the next victim squeal in shock.

She joined the group of cadets, each trying and failing to hide the alarm on their faces, apart from Lili and cohort, who just looked a bit miffed. Beside her, an elf who had obviously had his hair cut and combed by his mother shuffled into line, looking outraged.

"Did you _see_ that?" he hissed. "He could have ripped my uniform. He could have caused me actual bodily harm. That's it. I'm lodging a complaint."

"Cadet Kelp!" roared the same voice that Holly had heard earlier. The heads of the cadets all swiveled in perfect unison, as what resembled nothing more than a giant tomato smoking a fungal cigar strode purposefully into the room. Out of the corner of her eye, Holly saw Kelp's knees begin to wobble.

"Oh, gods," he whispered. "It's Commander Root. I was hoping he'd have had a heart attack by now."

Root marched up to him and stared into his eyes. "So you're the brother of Trouble Kelp, are you? That elf is one of my best boys. You've got a lot to live up to, Cadet!"

"Yessir!" replied Cadet Kelp weakly.

"And the rest of you!" bellowed Root, sweeping his eyes over the rookies. He gave Holly an extra frown when he realised that she was a girl. "I expect nothing less that your very, very best! If you ain't gonna do that, you might as well just go home now and cry to your mothers. I'm not going to go easy on you, and neither are any of my officers, so don't come whining to us when you realise you can't hack it here.Over the next four years, we're going to pound you –that is, those of you that don't break from the pressure – into officers of the Lower Elements Police. We are the _elite_. You're gonna hurt, and you're gonna cry, and gonna wish to all the gods that you never signed up for this thing in the first place, but you're gonna pick yourself and keep running right on 'til I say stop, you hear me?"

"Yes, sir!" chorused the cadets, many of whom were looking like they were wishing they'd never gotten out of bed that morning.

"Then the first thing we're gonna do is to toughen you sissies up! I don't care whether you end up in Retrieval or guarding a sewage works, you bunch of weaklings couldn't take a lollipop from an infant! Major Slate will be putting you through your paces, and you are gonna _work_, do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," Holly duly answered with the others, wondering how much more of this macho posturing she would be expected to listen to.

"Major Slate!" shouted Root. "I'm leaving these rookies in your hands. When I come back, I want to see some real men! Well," he paused, glowering at Lili, who was giggling behind her hand with Iris. "As manly as you can make them."

And with that, he tramped out of the room, leaving a trail of smoke like a steam engine.

Major Slate, a dark-haired gnome lean and corded with muscle, walked lazily out to stand in front of the cadets.

"Well, kiddies, looks like it's playtime," he said. "Aren't we going to have fun?"

* * *

"Grub!" hissed Holly "stop flinching!" 

"I can't help it!" replied Grub Kelp, his bottom lip trembling. "It's so dangerous!"

"CADET KELP!" shouted Major Slate "Get your defense up! Do you expect your opponent to send you an e-mail before they hit you?"

Grub reluctantly raised his fists. Holly aimed a roundhouse kick at him, and he squealed and covered his face. The kick caught him in the stomach, and he flew backwards into the practice mat.

Major Slate peered over Holly's shoulder. "Kelp!" he yelled. "It's not nap time! Get up!" Holly winced as his voice grated in her ears. "Cadet Short," he grunted, and she reluctantly turned to face him. "You're not half bad," he admitted "someone taught you how to fight. Someone who knew what they were doing."

"Yessir," she said, "My father made sure I knew how to defend myself."

"Short," Slate mused, "not related to the old Commander Larch Short, by any chance?"

Holly beamed with pride. "Actually, I am, sir. He's my father."

"Hmm. You'd better not expect any special treatment, Short. You're getting the same deal everyone else is getting."

"No, sir" she said, looking him in the eyes.

Slate nodded. "Well, anyway, you're more advanced than this group. I'll put you with one of the older boys to practice with. You should be able to keep up with them." He looked around. The only other Cadet group in the gymnasium was the fourth-years, the most senior and highly trained. They were sparring in pairs, the martial arts moves blending seamlessly into each other as muscles moved like silk. All except one of them, a lone elf who sat by himself on the edge of the mats, calling advice to two of his classmates. His broad shoulders shook with laughter at their friendly retorts.

"Hey, Trouble!" called Slate. The elf turned around, revealing a handsome face and brown hair falling into bright blue eyes.

Holly froze. It was the elf who had winked at her that morning. She watched him get to his feet and stroll over to them, grinning a slow smile. The tight white vest of the training uniform fit him perfectly, hugging his shoulders and hinting at the well-defined muscles of his chest.

Holly glanced down at her own training clothes, far too aware that her cheeks were turning red. She'd changed into the outfit after lunch, when the combat lessons had begun. The legs of the loose green trousers were so long that she'd had to roll them up. He face was sweaty and her hair was stuck to her cheeks and the back of her neck. Not exactly the way a girl wants to look when faced with the most gorgeous guy she's ever seen.

"Hello again," he said, offering her his hand. "Trouble Kelp. Pleased to meet you."

Holly surreptitiously wiped her palm on her trousers before putting it in his. His handshake was reassuringly firm, but he didn't try her strength like some of the jerks she'd met.

"Holly Short," she replied, grateful that he voice remained steady. "Likewise."

"Trouble," said Slate, "Cadet Short is too advanced for this group. I want you to teach her something new. Push her to her limits. You can do that?"

Trouble nodded. "Come on," he said to Holly gesturing her towards the mats on the other side of the hall. She followed him, ignoring the catcalls from the other seniors. Trouble stood opposite her and assumed a defensive pose, legs spread, centre of balance lowered.

"First, let's see what you've got," he said. "Attack me. Don't worry about hurting me, just- whoa!"

Holly had taken advantage of his speech to snap up her leg. It would had smashed into his solar plexus had he not blocked it. He just had the time to knock her leg out of the way. Holly regained her balance, and as her foot touched the mat she used her momentum to swing her fist at his nose.

In a flash, Trouble had caught her wrist. He twisted it, and suddenly she was face down on the mat, with his elbow in her back to stop her from getting back up.

"Damn, you're fast for a rookie," he said, his breath tickling the back of her neck in a most distracting way. "But you've still got a way to go."

He let her up, and she clambered stiffly to her feet. When she looked up at him, there was a new touch of respect in his eyes.

"Let's see what I can teach you," he said, grinning.

Holly sighed. "Am I right in thinking that I will be very sore by the time I get home tonight?"

His eyes flashed with amusement. "Oh, yeah."

She groaned, and he began to laugh.

* * *

Holly opened the door of the apartment she shared with Bryony, aching all over. She'd spent the past three hours getting thrown about by the most attractive fairy in the LEP. And she'd enjoyed it much more than she should have. 

Bryony glanced up from the cookbook she was leafing through. "Lookin' good, Cadet Short," she said. Holly grinned sheepishly. She'd been unable to resist getting changed back into the sludge-green jumpsuit before leaving Police Plaza. Even if it was hideous, it was a badge of pride.

"How was your day?" she asked, setting her duffel bag down on the floor.

"It was great, although they set us an unholy amount of work to do. Don't they know it's the first day?" Bryony sighed and pushed away the pile of paperwork in front of her. "Who knew that teaching little kids could be so much work?"

"I just spent my day getting beaten up by a big, muscular elf. You have no sympathy from me."

Bryony looked up suspiciously. "Then why are you grinning like a lunatic?"

Holly felt her composure shake, then shatter. "Because he was absolutely gorgeous," she sighed, sliding onto the sofa.

"Holly! You bad girl! You're supposed to be working, not scouting for potential love interests!" Bryony chided. She paused for a moment. "Exactly how gorgeous?" she inquired.

Holly laughed and chucked a cushion at her.

* * *

Later, she lay in bed, staring up at the suspicious-looking stain on her ceiling. The room was barely big enough for a single bed and a small wardrobe. Her books were piled up neatly beside the bed to serve as a table, her lamp and alarm clock perched precariously on top. She was more than a little homesick for her old room, her old house, with her parents in the next room over if she needed anything. 

Holly sighed. She'd make it through this, the same way she made it through all the hard stuff that life threw at her. She'd square her shoulders and stand firm, no matter what. No matter what.

Still…

Vinyáya had winked at her. Trouble had grinned at her. Maybe this wouldn't be too bad after all.

With a rather silly smile spreading its way across her face, Cadet Holly Short rolled over and went to sleep.

* * *

Author's note: 

Phew! I finally got that finished. It's my first fic, so I apologise if it's absolute twaddle. Does anyone else feel that it's way too jerky? I'll fix it if you do. Looking over it, I now see that there is not plot here at all, but it's gonna pick up soon, trust me.

I wrote this because I wanted to do something with Holly, as a very young elf, before she became the confident, highly-trained officer she is in the books. That's why she seems out of character- because in this story, the character we all know and love hasn't developed yet. She's still a little girl, unsteady on her feet and trying to find her place in the world.

And don't worry, there will be action later, not just me mooning over Trouble. Ah, Trouble...

So... please let me know what you think! Reviews will be much appreciated. Thanks for reading my story!

Indy :)


	2. Complications

**A/N** I know, I know! Over two weeks! I'm sorry! In my defence, I've been (in succession) ill, moving house, and swamped with essays. Plus this is a rather hefty chapter, as you're about to discover. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon. (Now where have we all heard that before...)

On a more positive note, I'm glad that people seem to like this. I'll work hard to try and keep it up to high standards! A HUGE thank you to all of my reviewers. You are all very, very nice people! Thanks! (this is also a subtle hint to those who haven't reviewed yet. Go on. You know you want to!)

OK, I'll stop wittering now, and let you get on with this chapter. Presenting Chapter Two! (overdramatic drumroll)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Artemis Fowl, or any of its characters. I do however, own Holly's socks.

* * *

_Trouble looked at her, his blue eyes soulful._

"_Holly," he said. "I've never…I've never seen anyone with such an amazing spin kick before. You … you inspire me. I am awed by your very presence."_

_Holly smiled and leaned forward. "Really?"_

"_Yes," he breathed. "I have something very important to tell you, Holly. Something I've never told anyone else before. You see, I…"_

"Um, Holly?" said Bryony. "Holly? HOLLY!"

Holly mumbled something that sounded like an explosion in a consonant factory, before rolling over and resolutely ignoring her roommate.

Two small elfin hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Holly! Wake up!" Bryony bawled right in her ear.

Holly reluctantly opened one eye to stare dolefully at her friend. "I was having," she informed her, "what was very possibly the best dream of my life so far. This had better be good."

"Doesn't your Academy training begin at eight?" asked Bryony, frowning.

"Mm-hm," murmured Holly, eyelids drooping.

"Well then, by my calculations, that leaves you approximately three minutes to get dressed and get there. Good luck."

Holly yelped and jumped out of bed, simultaneously pulling her old tank top over her head.

"Whoa, girl!" said Bryony. "I know we're best friends and all, but that doesn't mean we have to share everything".

Holly, her head swaddled in fabric, caught her foot in her discarded sheets and fell painfully onto her rear end with a resounding thump. She spat out a mouthful of white cotton and glared at Bryony, who was looking like a perfect, perky vision of student living in her neat skirt and sweater.

"Could you please," she growled, "hand me my jumpsuit?"

Bryony flashed her a cheeky grin and tossed her the garment. Under the soft ceiling lights, it looked no less hideous than the day before. Holly threw it on, running slender fingers through her hair to remove the worst of the tangles. She winced at the reflection in the mirror, but it would have to do. There would be plenty of time to look good once she had actually completed her training and gotten into the LEP proper. _If_ she ever got into the LEP.

She sprinted through the apartment, and out the front door. She was halfway down the outside corridor before Bryony stuck her head around the door.

"Holly!" she yelled, "Boots!"

Holly froze, glancing down at her feet. The feet which were still wearing the lurid pink and green polka-dot socks she'd worn to bed. Her florescent toes stared back at her.

Holly tossed a sheepish smile back at Bryony. "I am so glad I've got you," she admitted, reclaiming her boots from her laughing friend.

Bryony passed her a stack of toast. "Eat this on the way. You're going to need your strength if you're going to get beaten up by gorgeous elves all day."

Holly laughed and stuffed a piece in her mouth. She finished tying her boots, and with a jaunty wave, was off down the hall.

Bryony shook her head and closed the front door.

* * *

Holly pushed open the Academy doors and breathlessly skidded into the lobby. The pink-haired pixie behind the counter put her typing on hold specially to shoot her a withering glance. "Late," she drawled. "My, that's not going to make a good impression, is it, dear?" 

Holly suppressed the urge to throw the secretary's own potted plant at her, instead planting her arms on the desk and pasting on a fake smile. "Could you please tell me where all the first years are this morning?" she inquired politely, her cheeks beginning to hurt from the number of teeth on show.

The secretary grunted. "Room nineteen. Don't keep them waiting any longer."

Holly opened her mouth to ask where room nineteen was, but the secretary had already picked up her ringing phone, and was now rolling her eyes at whatever the person on the other end was saying.

She jogged slowly down the hallway, counting off the rooms. Nineteen was nowhere to be seen. _Great. Just great_.

Two extremely large hands appeared out of nowhere and pinned her to the wall. Holly yelped in surprise and glanced up at the huge gnome glaring down at her.

"_NEVER_ RUN INTO AN UNSECURED BUILDING DURING A FIREFIGHT!" he shouted at her.

"You don't know where room nineteen is, do you?" she asked weakly. He glowered at her for a second before pointing at the stairs.

"SECOND FLOOR!" he roared. He let go of her and she slid slowly to the floor, rubbing her shoulder as he strode off.

Holly took the stairs two at a time, crashing through the door with an apology already spilling from her lips. The teacher looked up from his desk, one eyebrow raised.

"Well," he spat "obviously someone thinks they're above the rest of the class."

Holly began to protest, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Sit down," he said impatiently. "I haven't got the time for your excuses."

Holly slunk to the only free seat, beside Grub Kelp. She pulled out the chair and ignored the jeers from the idiots in the second row.

The teacher stood up. He was a creaky old elf with the unmistakable look of an officer who'd been stuck behind a desk for the last few centuries.

"Right!" he barked. "Today you're going to learn to do some of the most important work you will ever be assigned as an officer of the Lower Elements Police!"

Holly raised her head and sat up in her chair, suddenly intrigued.

"It is vital," continued the elf, "that you are able to complete this properly. Your very career could depend on it." He started pacing up and down the room, waggling a finger for emphasis. "Not all of you will be able to handle it. Not all of you will have the intellect to truly excel in this area. Today we sort the men from the boys!"

Holly leaned forwards eagerly. This was it! Her chance to prove that she wasn't just some airhead female who was always late for everything. Whatever it was, she would do her utmost to master it!

"That's right!" the old elf said, seeing the spark of interest he had kindled in the eyes of the Cadets, "Today we start this!" he triumphantly raised a sheaf of forms up in the air. "Paperwork!"

The class groaned as one, sinking back down onto their desks. The elf frowned. "I'll have you know that paperwork is a vital part of all the work we do here!"

He was about to continue when a knock at the door cut him off. Sighing, he laid the forms down and went to answer it.

Major Slate poked his head around the door. "Sorry to disrupt your class, Grey." He said. "Can I bother you for a minute?"

Grey followed him out into the corridor and shut the door behind him. The class immediately broke out into conversation.

Holly rubbed her face. _Maybe things will pick up in the flying lesson later_, she thought desperately.

A green hand materialised on the desk in front of her. She glanced up to see a sprite grinning roguishly at her, his other hand perched jauntily on his hip.

"Well, well," he drawled, in a voice she guessed was meant to sound irresistible. "What's a fine little babe like you doing in a place like this?" He ran a hand through his hair, simultaneously winking at her. "Name's Chix. Chix Verbil. At your service, lovely lady."

He reached for her hand, but she jerked it back across the table. "Ooh! She's got spice. That's good. I like my women feisty."

"Verbil," Holly said, "Seriously. Shut up before I feed you your wings."

Chix made two pistols with his hands, pointing both at her. "Yowch! I'm hurt, gorgeous!"

Holly rolled her eyes.

"Playin' hard to get, huh? You'll come round. No girl can escape the Chixman. You want me, you just ask for the LEP stud." With that, he sauntered off.

Grey strode back into the room. "Right! Everybody, sit down! We've got work to do."

Holly sighed. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

The phone on Root's belt beeped. Incoming message. He checked the name on the display and smiled. 

"Larch," he greeted the caller. "Long time no see. How are you?"

"I'm doing fine, Julius"

"How are the old injuries? They still giving you trouble?"

"A little," admitted Larch. "But I'm used to it. It's been a century after all. I'm just grateful that I got out of that mess alive."

"So I am." Root sighed. "It was a damn shame, Larch. The force isn't the same without you." He shuddered as he remembered that day, over a hundred years ago now. The day his commander had sacrificed himself for his officers, losing an arm in the resulting battle.  
The doctors had managed to keep him alive, against all the odds, and wire him up to a mech-limb. But the damage had been done. Larch Short was in no shape to lead Recon. So he'd resigned, passing the post down to his second-in-command, Julius Root.

"You know what?" mused Larch. "I'm actually glad about that whole fiasco. If I hadn't lost my arm, I'd never have met Ivy at the hospital. I'd never have had my daughter. The LEP was my life, Julius, but my family… that's more than I ever expected. I'm lucky to have them."

Root smiled sadly. Despite the happiness in Larch's voice, he could hear the veiled longing beneath it. Some fairies were born to police work. It was in their blood. Larch was one of them. Root had no doubt about how much the old commander loved his family, but you don't just give up something like Recon. The memory always stays with you.

"Actually, that's why I called you," Larch confessed. "It's about my daughter, Holly. She just started at the Academy."

"I know. Major Slate has nothing but praise for her fighting style. Your work, I presume?"

"One of the first things I taught her, naturally."

"I have to warn you, I'm not giving her any preferential treatment. She's getting exactly what I give all the other rookies. Until she convinces me she's worth my respect."

"I wouldn't dream otherwise, Julius. I daresay it'll be good for her. It might even give her some respect for authority." Larch's tone left Root in no doubt to the character of his daughter.

The screen behind him fizzled into life. Root swiveled his chair round. The sprite on the screen had battle-weary eyes.

"Commander," he said. "There's been an arson attack on an elementary school."

"Is the fire out? Any damage to neighbouring buildings?" asked the Commander, frowning at the look on the sprite's face. "What is it, Captain? Kids try to vandalise schools all the time."

The Captain looked up, sadness over his features. "Commander…" he began.

Root's eyes found the clock on his desk. It was the middle of the morning. The middle of the morning on a weekday. "Wait. You're telling me that some sick freak lit a school on fire, _with all the kids still inside?" _Root covered his face with one large hand, afraid to hear what his officer would say next. Children were precious in any culture, to any people. But fairy children were doubly treasured, simply because they were so few and far-between. To do something like this- it was an abomination, even amongst criminals. What kind of murderer were they dealing with?

"It's alright. We managed to get everyone out- the kids and the teachers. The fire seems to have been caused by some kind of incendiary device. Interestingly, it seems to have been set in the gymnasium, far away from the classrooms and the fire escapes, so the people inside could all get out. The gym was empty at this time of the day - someone did his homework. The school was completely destroyed, but nobody inside it was in much danger- they all got out too quickly and easily. We think it was meant as a warning."

"A warning? To who?"

The captain nodded to whoever was filming him with the helmet cam. The unseen officer swiveled, to face a wall opposite the ruined school. Upon the stone, words were scrawled in black paint.

_CARHARTEZ,_ they read, _NEXT TIME IT'S FOR REAL_.

"Carhartez? What's he got to do with all this?" asked Root, racking his brain for a possible motive. "Don't tell me this is because someone doesn't like his new recipe for vole curry."

A phone began to bleep urgently on his desk. Root pressed the conference button, and Council Chairman Carhartez's voice filled the office.

"Julius? What's going on? I heard there was a fire- what's happening?" Carhartez's voice was filled with worry.

"There's been a case of arson at East Haven Elementary…" began Root, but he was cut off by a cry from Carhartez.

"What? No! Where's Minty? Is she OK? Is she hurt? …Julius, answer me!"

"Whoa, slow down," replied Root, concerned, "What's the matter?"

"Minty's the matter! My daughter, Julius- she goes to that school! She's so young… she's only just started this year. She'll have been so scared…"

Root glanced at the screen helplessly. The sprite on it finished saying something into his helmet microphone and looked up at his commander.

"It seems all the victims were taken to Haven Central Hospital. They're being treated for minor injuries and shock. It seems that everyone's going to be fine. One Minty Carhartez included."

The Chairman's sigh of relief rasped over the line. "Oh, thank the gods," he breathed. "Thank the gods. Julius, we'll have a meeting about this later. Right now I have to go to the hospital and see my daughter."

"Fine," confirmed Root. Carhartez said his goodbyes and hung up.

"Who wrote that message?" asked Root. "Did we get them on camera?"

"We did catch them on camera," said a voice from behind him. "We then lost them on camera."

Root jumped out of his skin. "Foaly!" he spluttered. "If you ever do that again, you'll be pouring milk over your own hooves and having them for breakfast, do you understand me?!"

"Crystal clear, Julius," said Foaly, utterly unimpressed.

"One, don't call me Julius, civilian. And two, what's this about losing the perpetrator?"

Foaly put a laptop down on the commander's desk. The screen showed the footage from the CCTV cameras outside the school.

"Watch," the centaur said, adjusting the angle of his tinfoil hat. The Commander leaned in to get a better look. The scene glowed a nightmarish red like the flames of hell, lit by the burning school in the background. LEP officers and firefighters swarmed around the building like ants protecting their nest. The focus was on the flames, and the air recyclers being manoeuvred into position above them to suck up the smoke. Half the danger from the attack was the amount of air pollution it was causing- billowing out black smoke that had nowhere to go, being underground. If that got out of control the whole city would suffer.

In the commotion, nobody noticed a lithe figure dressed head to toe in black. It slunk through the shadows until it reached the wall, hastily scribbling the message with a can of spray paint. Just as quickly, it was gone, weaving around the crowd like a snake. Root followed it with unblinking eyes. It crossed behind an LEP cruiser. And then it was gone.

"What? Where the hell did he go?"

"If we knew that, Commander," replied Foaly, "we wouldn't have lost him."

Root glanced back at the sprite on the screen, who had obviously been straining to see what was going on.

"Captain, have you got the area cordoned off?"

"Naturally, sir."

"How's the fire?"

"Out, sir."

"Then get forensics down there immediately. Have them check everything. _Everything_. Hopefully our little arsonists might have left us a souvenir."

"Yessir!" the sprite saluted and cut the channel.

"You don't actually expect to find anything, do you?" asked Foaly.

Root sighed, rubbing his face. "No, Foaly. These guys aren't your everyday run-of-the-mill vandals. There's something big behind this, you can bet your last carrot."

"Julius?" said a faint voice. "Julius!"

Root glanced down in surprise. In all the drama, he'd forgotten about Larch on the phone. He pressed the loudspeaker button and placed it on the desk.

"Sorry about that, old friend," he apologised.

"This worries me, Julius," said Larch. "There's something deep going on here. And the vanishing fairy? That says only one thing to me."

"The Wraiths," Julius agreed. "D'Arvit!"

"Whoa!" said Foaly, looking alarmed. "Did I just hear what I thought I heard? I thought they were finished decades ago? Didn't the old commander drum them out?"

"That's what I thought," sighed Larch. "I thought I'd rounded them all up a hundred years ago. The leader's dead. His cohorts are all rotting away in our cells. But now it appears that a few of them must have escaped somehow."

"Are you sure?"

"Let me come in and take a look at the footage."

"Sure. You're the expert." Larch Short had headed up the fight against the Wraiths a century ago. The gang was one of the most feared that had ever plagued Haven. The members had been ruthless, resorting to murder and terrorism to gain what they wanted. They were an anti-human group, frustrated by life underground and eager to use superior fairy technology to wipe the enemy off the surface of the planet. They had tried to seize control of the city, by seeping into the Council and the LEP, the very mechanics of their civilization. They were a disease, reaching ghost hands into the clockwork and tearing the whole thing apart.

Root shuddered as he remembered the last battle against them. The buildings in pieces, the ruins of lives, the dead staring glassy-eyed at the cavern ceiling. The shout of a Commander pushing aside his second-in-command, out of the crossfire. The moans of a man who'd lost his arm, and his career. His life.

The gang had terrified the city for months, materializing where they were least expected, then causing panic and horror before melting back into nowhere. That was the most terrifying thing about them- they were like spectres, unreal. Wraiths. They left no trace, no clues, no evidence. The LEP never found their headquarters. They'd beaten them in that last fight, when the Wraiths came out to claim the city for their own. In the end, their downfall was overconfidence. That and Larch Short, strong and steadfast despite it all, spreading courage to the officers around him like a candle flame spreads light.

Larch's voice jolted Root out of his reminiscing. "They must be after something, Julius. Maybe they're back for a second shot at taking Haven. Whatever it is, they must plan to manipulate the Council members by threatening their loved ones- that's what the whole fire thing was about. It's about hitting us where we're weak. You and me, Julius, we'd fight to the death before giving in to these people, but if they held a gun to the head of someone we love? We'd both surrender. And they know that."

Larch's voice was soft. Root knew what he was thinking about. Or rather, who. A willowy dark-haired elf, and the girl he'd faced in the gym yesterday, with a spark of fiery determination in her eyes. Root hoped she'd live up to the promise in that spark. The gods knew they needed more people like the old Commander Short.

"Larch," he said. "You know far more about this matter than me. You lead the fight, last time. Would you be my consultant on this? I need your help." Now there was something that Julius Root didn't say often.

"Of course, Julius. Whatever you need me for, I'm there."

* * *

"Right!" said Vinyáya, hands on hips, surveying her students. "You've spent most of the morning on the flight simulators. Now let's see how you get on with the real thing." 

There were mixed reactions among the cadets. Some swapped confident grins. Some were steadily turning green. Grub Kelp looked like he was about to pass out.

"Isn't this a bit too dangerous for our second day?" he whispered to Holly. "We could get injured. I should really lodge a complaint."

"Cadet Kelp!" called Vinyáya cheerfully. "Thank you for volunteering. Since you're obviously so eager, I'll let you go first."

Grub's knees began to knock together. He gulped audibly.

"Don't worry," Vinyáya reassured him. "This won't be too hard. No fancy flying feats today, guys. You're simply going to turn on the engines, rise up a few feet- _no more_ _than a few feet_, you hear me? You're then going to fly straight forwards to the mark on the floor."

She pointed to a large white X shape taped onto the ground. The cadets were all in a disused tunnel behind the academy, used expressly for flying lessons. The walls of the tunnel were lined with old shuttles, fossils that the pilots on the force had beaten up and then sent out here to rust. Budget cuts. Again.

"You're then going to go around the marker, and head back this way. Go slowly- I don't want anyone to lose control and crash. There's plenty of time for speed once you've earned your pilot's license. You'll then head over to this marker." She turned and pointed to another X on the ground behind them. A decrepit old shuttle lay mournfully next to it, dented and scratched by generations of rookies.

"You'll turn around that marker, _slowly_, and then gently land next to it, where the shuttle is presently parked. _That is all_. No fly-boy antics from any of you, or you'll all be scrubbing graffiti for a month, understand?"

The cadets chorused affirmatives, jostling Grub to the front. His face had turned roughly the colour of pond algae.

"Come on, Cadet Kelp, we haven't got all day!" yelled Vinyáya, holding the shuttle door open for him. He stumbled towards the shuttle and pulled himself inside. Vinyáya leaned in to give him a few words of encouragement before slamming the door shut and backpedaling to a safe distance.

Holly watched the shuttle lurch upwards, before staggering down the old tunnel like a drunken dwarf. It reached the marker without any mishap, but neglected to turn around. Instead, it wobbled forwards slowly until it collided gently with another shuttle, resulting in a soft crunching sound. The shuttle came to rest there, looking rather dazed and confused, its crumpled nose giving it a slightly sad expression.

Sniggers broke out among some of the cadets as Vinyáya pulled Grub out of the shuttle and checked him for injuries. Once she'd ascertained that he was unharmed, she sent him scurrying back, his face redder than Commander Root's on a particularly stressful day. He was welcomed back to the group with a few friendly jeers and claps on the back.

Vinyáya finished inspecting the damage, bringing the shuttle coasting back herself. Holly sighed with envy at her skill. The Wing Commander managed to make even that old slammer look graceful.

Vinyáya hopped out. "Mostly superficial damage. Shouldn't be a problem. As long as everyone else remembers how to turn, we'll be fine. Who's next?"

All the cadets suddenly became very interested in their boots.

"No volunteers? Well, then. Cadet Short, get up here!"

Holly clambered into the shuttle and strapped herself into the wraparound pilot's seat. She curled her fingers around the two joysticks. They fit her hands perfectly, as though they had been made just for her. She smiled to herself. She'd aced the simulators. This would be a piece of cake.

She started the engines, enjoying the whine they made as they ignited, whooshing into life. She lifted the shuttle smoothly off the ground, hovering a few metres above the others' heads.

Her thumbs pressed down on the thruster buttons at the ends of the joysticks, lightly, so the shuttle purred along at a slow but steady rate. The smile on her face spread into a real grin as she easily curved around the first marker. She'd have her license in no time.

Brimming with confidence, she pressed down a little more on the thrusters, speeding up. She was going faster than Vinyáya had specified, but it was fine. She knew what she was doing.

She sped around the second marker effortlessly. OK. Time to brake now. Brake. Brake. Where the hell was the brake?

Holly frantically whipped her head around the pod, searching for the brake, mentally berating herself. Different models of shuttles had different brakes. She'd failed to find it before she'd taken off- the most basic of mistakes. The most idiotic of basic mistakes.

Through the quartz windshield, she saw her classmates scramble as she breezed through where they'd all been standing a moment before. She also got a glimpse of her flight instructor's face. Vinyáya did not look like a happy elf.

In desperation, she did the first thing she could think of. She pulled back hard on the joysticks. Unfortunately, this did not have the desired effect, instead tipping the shuttle backwards. Holly quickly compensated, pushing the joysticks forward to try and get the shuttle to level out again. She miscalculated, pushing forwards far too much. The shuttle pitched forwards, the nose grinding along the ground with a horrendous screech. Holly grunted as the impact vibrated all through the shuttle, rattling all her bones.

_Oh well_, she thought, resigned to her imminent doom, _at least it's slowing down now._

The shuttle lost speed, slowly sliding across the ground and coming to rest two metres away from Vinyáya's toes. Holly had just enough sense left to pop the locks on the door before letting her head fall onto the dashboard. She felt like a bean in a maraca. Everything hurt. Not least her pride.

"Cadet Short?" asked Vinyáya, sticking her face through the door. "Are you alright?"

With the last vestiges of her strength, Holly raised her head, forcing a tired smile onto her face.

"So," she said, "Does this mean I'm going to be scrubbing graffiti for the next month?"

* * *

Vinyáya unscrewed the lid of her thermos flask, pouring the contents into it. "Hot, sweet tea," she explained, handing it to Holly. "Best thing for shock. I always carry a flask of this with me at the beginning of the year. You wouldn't believe some of the incidents I've seen." 

Holly smiled humourlessly, sipping slowly. The tea slipped down her throat, warming her insides. Surprisingly, she found a little of her strength return. She sat up straight.

"I'm sorry about the shuttle," she began.

Vinyáya waved it off, laying a cool hand on Holly's forehead and giving her a shot of blue sparks. The magic chased down Holly's veins, shaking out the aches and the tiredness. Holly's eyes watered at the strength of it. She had her own magic, but it was a child's magic, nowhere near as strong as an adult's. She'd only receive that after her womanhood ceremony.

"Don't worry about that. You think we'd have the good shuttles down here, where the Cadets can destroy them? Everything in this tunnel is just waiting to be taken to the recycling plant. What I _am_ annoyed about is that you lost control because you were showing off, after I expressly asked you not to. Before that, you were managing beautifully. You obviously have some talent, but you need focus and the self-control. You're only going to develop that by hard work and listening to your instructors."

"I know," said Holly miserably. There's nothing more disheartening then getting chewed out by somebody you really respect.

"Don't let it get to you," advised Vinyáya. "You need to focus on what you want to achieve, not dwell on what you've done wrong. And put in some more hours at the simulators. Practice makes perfect."

Both fairies looked over as the other cadets yelled. The techies had finished clearing away the wreckage of the shuttle. A new one was parked by the first marker.

Vinyáya got up. "Well, I've got rookies to teach. Sit down and finish your tea."

"Yes, Ma'am," answered Holly, watching her glide over to the others. She took another sip of the tea and sighed. _This really is not my day_.

* * *

Holly gripped her plate of vegetable fries as she manoeuvred through the perilous terrain of the Cadet cafeteria. The din was almost deafening. It was one of the few times of the day that the Cadets were allowed to relax and talk to each other. _But why do men always have to make so much noise? _Holly wondered, skipping over a puddle of spilt juice. 

She surveyed the room, her heart sinking. There were no free tables she could sit at. The ones with empty seats were occupied by fairies who were either ignoring or leering at her. For once, she actually wished that Lili Frond was around.

"Heeeey, if it ain't the tastiest babe in the whole first year!" said an all-too familiar voice behind her.

Holly turned around slowly. "Oh. Hey, Chix."

He winked at her. "You need a seat, sweet thing? I got two over here with our names on 'em."

"Uh, no thanks. I promised to sit with someone…over there…" Holly waved a hand vaguely behind her.

Chix squinted. "Who? I don't see nobody."

Holly took advantage of the distraction to skip away hastily. A gnome trying to be funny stuck his foot out to trip her up. She stomped on his toes without breaking her stride, his howls melting into the general clamour as she left him behind.

"Short! Hey, Short!" someone called, catching her sleeve.

"Chix!" she yelled, tugging free. "For the last time! Leave me alone!"

"Um," said the voice. "I'm not Chix."

Holly looked down, into a pair of very blue eyes. She almost dropped her lunch in surprise. That wasn't Chix. That wasn't Chix at all.

"Is he bothering you?" asked Trouble, frowning, "I can take care of him for you, if you like."

"No," answered Holly, blushing. "It's OK. Really."

"Are you sitting with anyone? There's a free space right here if you want it," Trouble said, patting the empty chair next to him.

Holly murmured her thanks, sliding into it.

"Aww, look, guys!" yelled one of the other cadets on the table. "Kelp's got hisself an ickle girlfriend!"

Trouble casually reached over and upended the sprite's glass of water all over his head. "Leave her alone," he said, pleasantly. "This one's tough. She's a fighter. She almost trounced me on the practice mats yesterday." An awed silence fell. "If she takes offence and tries to go for you, I'm not sure I can stop her."

The cadets all sneaked impressed looks at Holly, who was trying to hide the grin forming on her face. She took a long slurp of her nettle smoothie, heart thumping in her chest. _Relax_, she told herself. _You're a calm, collected professional who doesn't let herself get distracted by anything. Especially not guys. Especially, especially not guys with eyes as blue as heaven, and dark hair that falls in front of their eyes in the exact way that makes you want to reach up and brush it away, and…_

"Rookie? You OK?" said Trouble, resting one warm hand on her shoulder.

Holly jumped out of her thoughts, glancing up at him. She was sure it wasn't legal for anyone to be that good-looking.

"Yeah. I'm fine, thanks."

"Are you sure? I heard you took quite a crash today." His eyes teased her gently.

"You heard about that?" she asked, dismayed. _Great going, Holly. Now he's going to think you're a complete idiot._

"Are you kidding? The entire Academy's heard!" he laughed at her moan of horror. "Don't worry. Better you make your mistakes now, instead of later. You'll just be a better pilot for it in the end." He made a face. "Frond, you should have seen my flying when I started. I'm surprised they didn't kick me out. But I just practiced harder, and I got my pilot's license in the end." He frowned, and turned to look over the heads of the fairies opposite them. "That doesn't sound good," he observed.

Over at the next table, a gnome and an elf were arguing in increasingly loud voices.

"You callin' me a coward?" yelled the gnome.

"Yeeeah!" retorted the elf, "I bet ya don't even have the guts to fight me, wimp!"

The gnome growled at the elf. Holly and Trouble watched in silent fascination as he picked up a handful of stinkworm spaghetti and ground it straight into the elf's face. The elf sat frozen for a moment, the entire cafeteria holding its breath as strands of pasta slid off his face and into his lap.

The elf's hands curled into fists. "Boys," he muttered to his friends, who were standing up on either side of him. "Get 'im!"

"Oh, no" breathed Trouble. "Not again."

The elf's friends picked up fistfuls of food and hurled it at the gnome. A deep-fried pit slug whizzed over Holly's head and smacked into a pixie's eye.

"Hey!" he squealed, before grabbing a mound of mashed potato and lobbing it back.

Suddenly the air was filled with airborne food items and battle cries. Trouble wordlessly put his hands on Holly's shoulders and pushed her under the table. He appeared beside her a moment later, holding both their plates.

"We should be safe under here," he said cheerfully, handing Holly her vegetable fries.

"Does this happen often?" she asked incredulously.

"Nope," he said, through a mouthful of mushroom burger. "The punishment is usually enough to make people think twice before getting involved. This usually happens at the beginning of the year, when nobody's warned the first-years yet." He shook his head sorrowfully, as if in sadness for the follies of youth.

"So, how's the Academy treating you?" he asked conversationally, as though it wasn't raining lunch outside their makeshift shelter.

"When I'm not crashing shuttles, you mean?"

Trouble laughed. "Yeah. Do you like it here? Do you think you'll be able to stand the whole four years?"

Holly smiled, her head ducked to hide it. "Yes. I do. I mean, I like it here. I hope I'll be able to last the whole course. I mean," she corrected herself again, "I _will_ last it out. Nothing's going to stop me!"

She felt his hand under her chin, raising her head. She looked up into his eyes. They had a curious blend of emotions in them. Laughter, and understanding, and something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Something unsure of itself. He looked at her like a man trying to figure out a difficult puzzle.

"You have a lovely smile," he said softly. "Don't hide it."

She stared back at him, unable to move. He was so close. If she just leant forward just a little bit…

He suddenly broke out into a silly grin, and the moment was over. He dropped his hand from her face, swiping some of the fries from her plate. She made a face at him and he laughed back at her.

She stole a glance at him while he was preoccupied with eating. _Was he just flirting with me?_

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF SANITY IS GOING ON HERE?" roared a familiar voice. Trouble and Holly jumped out of their skins. All activity in the cafeteria came to a screeching halt. The cadets froze in place, guilty expressions fixed on their features, various meals dripping from their hands. All the food in the air immediately stopped flying and fell quietly to the floor to land in well-mannered piles.

Julius Root stood in the doorway, eyes little more than slits. The heat coming off his face could have made coffee for all the fairies in the building. Behind him stood Vinyáya and Major Slate, each looking equally displeased.

Root pointed a quivering finger at the cadets. He took a deep breath, his complexion cranking up a notch to mulberry.

Trouble leaned over to her. "Brace yourself," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her skin. "This is going to get really bad."

Holly winced as Root let loose with his tirade. Amongst the general outrage, she caught snatches like "DISRESPECT", "IDIODICY", and "CONDUCT TOTALLY UNBEFITTING THAT OF AN LEP OFFICER".

Trouble scooted over to her side, mushroom burger in hand. "Still," he said. "You've got to admire his lung capacity, haven't you?"

Holly began to laugh so hard that she choked on her fries. Trouble grinned and thumped her back.

When Root had eventually run out of steam, Trouble crawled out from beneath the table, nimbly hopping over a puddle of Atlantean squid stew. Holly followed him quietly. Major Slate shot them a sharp look, but didn't say anything.

All across the hall, the sensible half of the Cadets was popping out from beneath the tables like mushrooms. Holly took one look at the cafeteria and wished she had a camera. This was priceless.

Root grunted to get their attention. "Normally," he barked, "your punishment would start with cleaning up this mess. But today, I've got something to show you. Something that might make you remember what you're here for. Those of you who need to shower and get changed will do so. You will all be assembled in the lobby in half an hour. Those who fail to turn up will be cleaning toilets for the rest of the year."

With that, he swarmed out of the hall, followed slowly by the chastised cadets. Beside her, Trouble suddenly broke out into hysterical laughter. Holly turned around to see Grub, drenched in gravy, lumps of mashed potato adhering to his skin like signs of some deadly disease.

"It's not funny," he sniffed, a blob of potato slowly sliding down his nose. "I'm going to lodge a compliant."

* * *

Holly stared up at the destroyed school in disbelief. _Who would do such a thing?_

"D'Arvit" whispered Trouble. "What kind of person would do this? How could someone be soulless enough to…?" He shook his head, wordless.

The newly clean Cadets were assembled outside the ruins of East Haven Elementary. An awkward silence lay heavily in the air, the levity of half an hour ago forgotten. One look around told Holly that they all shared her thoughts. Their eyes were somber, their stances grave.

Root cleared his throat and strode to the front of the group. His anger had vanished at the sight of the fire. Now there was nothing but sadness in his eyes.

"I brought you here to see this," he said in an unusually quiet voice, "because you all need reminding of why you are at the Academy. You are not here to brawl with each other. You are not here to have a good time. You are here because there are an awful lot of people who wish to cause harm and grief to others. You are here to stop them. You are here to protect the people. You are here to prevent things like this happening," he gestured to the burnt-out wreck behind him.

"You have to be the best you can possibly be in our line of work. It's not easy. It's never easy. And if you're going to make it, you're going to have to keep focussed. You have to have dedication, determination and perseverance. You do not have the time or the energy to fool around like a bunch of preschoolers, do you hear me?"

"Yessir," said the cadets quietly, the word rippling through the group like the wind through autumn leaves.

"Right," barked the Commander. "Back to the Academy, all of you. You still have combat training this afternoon."

Holly trudged back to the academy in silence. She couldn't get the image of the burned school out of her mind. Root's words keep swirling in her head. _You are here to protect the people_.

_I will_, she promised wordlessly. _I will_.

* * *

"Hit me!" said Holly. "_Just hit me_!" 

Lili looked doubtful. "Are you sure I won't break my nails?" she said, inspecting her manicure. "I already chipped one earlier. Do you _know_ how much its cost to get them repaired by a decent beautician?"

"Do I care?" muttered Holly.

Suddenly there was a painful yell from the other side of the practice mat.

"Cadet Kelp!" shouted Slate, elbowing his way through the assembled onlookers. "What is it this time?"

Grub whimpered and held up his thumb, which was obviously broken.

Slate sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you? Never make a fist with your thumb inside. And it's never a good move to punch someone in the mouth, either." He pulled Grub to his feet. "Right. I'm taking Kelp here to the healer's office." He pointed to the gnome that Grub had been sparring with. "You, partner up with Frond." He took a deep breath and yelled across the gym. "VEIN! Got no partner today?" An elf on the other side of the room looked up and shook his head.

Slate turned to Holly. "Go practice with Cadet Vein, Short. Get him to do some work on your left hand side moves, they're not as strong as your right."

"Yessir!" Holly jogged off the mats, glad to be away from Lili and the rest of the beginners.

Vein began to break away from the rest of the fourth-years, but a hand appeared on his shoulder, holding him back. Trouble leant over to whisper in his ear. Amusement flitted over Vein's face, then he nodded and turned to face the fairy that Trouble had been sparring with.

Trouble sauntered over, grinning at Holly. Her heart did a triple backflip, finished by a somersault for good measure.

"Change of plan, Rookie," he said. His voice was deep and rich, like dark chocolate.

"My name," she said, "is Holly."

He winked. "I know that, Rookie. And it's very pretty. But in this line of work, you've got to earn the right to be called by your real name."

Holly crossed her arms over her chest, trying to act unaffected by all the macho repartee. She was a strong modern girl, and she didn't let any guy boss her around. But there a treacherous part of her that fizzed with joy that he'd given her his own nickname. _Show some spine, woman! _She mentally berated herself._ Who do you think you are, Lili Frond?_

"Fine then, Flyboy," she retorted.

Trouble raised an eyebrow, obviously amused. "Well then, shall we get down to business?" He led her over to one of the thick blue practice mats.

"Slate said I should work on my left side." Holly explained. "I'm slightly weaker with left-hand moves."

Trouble nodded. "Let's start with some blocks. I'll attack you, you put up a defence with your left side. That should make you a little more fluid."

Without warning her, he lunged forwards, swift and accurate as an arrow. Holly grabbed his wrist and tried to throw him over her hip, but he was ready for her. He let his momentum pull him into to her, her hand held tight against his chest. He grinned down at her for a split second, before hooking his foot around the back of her knees and sending her crashing to the floor.

Holly blinked the stars from her eyes, looking up into his face. He knelt over her, one leg on each side of her body, and her wrists were both wrapped in one of his large hands. The other was next to her face, holding him up. He was so close that she could feel the heat of his body.

"Bad move," he said casually, "If I wasn't such a nice guy, I'd have complete control over you right now, and you wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting away."

"KELP!" yelled a voice. "What do you think you're doing?"

Holly watched as Trouble regrettably let her go and got to his feet. Major Slate was bearing down on them from across the room.

"Sir," Trouble said, "How's my brother doing?"

"Hmmph," Slate said, eyeing up the young elf in front of him. "He'll live. Try to teach him how to make a proper fist, and he might just pass the end of year exams. But you're changing the subject. I assigned Vein to train with Cadet Short. Why are you sparring with her?"

Trouble gave him a winning smile. "Come on, sir, you know that Vein's got no patience with the rookies. This girl's got real potential, she needs a teacher who'll help her develop that. Vein would just get her doing push-ups. Surely you understand what a waste that would be?"

"Hmmph," said Slate again, frowning. "For once, I actually agree with you, Kelp. You're the closest match to Short's level of ability. For now, continue to train with her. Until we can work something else out."

"Yes, sir," Trouble said. He watched him walk away, before turning to Holly. "Right, then. Where were we?"

* * *

Trouble was filing out of the gym with the rest of the cadets when a hand landed on his shoulder. He looked up into Slate's steel-grey eyes. 

"A word in my office, if you don't mind," said Slate, pleasantly enough. Looking up at him, Trouble knew that despite the tone, it was an order rather than a request.

He nodded and turned to the girl. Holly. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, giving her a roguish grin, the one that usually made females go weak at the knees. She just nodded at him, her wide hazel eyes unreadable. He'd only known her two days, but he'd give an arm and a leg to know what went on behind those eyes. She smiled at him, she laughed with him, but the girl was a complete mystery. She was tough, unafraid to stand up for herself, but sometimes she showed flashes of a surprisingly endearing vulnerability.

_It doesn't hurt that she's pretty damn beautiful_ he thought to himself, following Slate into the office.

The gnome seated himself behind the desk. "You probably know why I've called you in here," he said. Trouble started to deny the comment, but Slate just waved him away.

"It's about Short, Trouble. I may be old, but I'm not blind. She's a pretty girl, and you're a handsome fellow. It happens, and it's nothing to be ashamed about. But you know that this Academy takes a tough stance on this kind of thing. It distracts our cadets, when we need their utmost concentration and dedication. You're a good cadet, Trouble, and you have everything you need to be a great LEP officer, one of the best. So does Short. Don't throw away two bright careers for the sake of a bit of flirting. It's not worth it in the long run."

"But, sir," Trouble objected.

Slate held up a hand for silence. "No buts, Kelp. You've got the rest of your life for girls, but you've only got one year left in the Academy. One year to prove yourself. Your future is at stake here, and I don't want to see so much potential wasted." He looked at Trouble's face and sighed. "I can see that stubborn streak on your face, Cadet. So think about this. The LEP is a sexist place, there's no denying it. I'm not saying that's right, but that's the way it is. She's going to have one hell of a job making it here, even if she graduates at the top of her class with a spotless record. Something like this could spell the end of her career before it's even started. If you really care about her, you'll nip this in the bud. Do you understand me?"

Trouble nodded slowly, his face lowered.

Slate hesitated, and when he spoke again, his voice was surprisingly gentle. "Look, Trouble," he said, "I know you cadets think of me as an emotionless old boot who doesn't know a thing about women, but you're wrong. I was once in your position, remember. I know how it feels to have a pretty young thing smiling up at you. I'm not ordering you to never see her again, I'm just telling you to cool it, for the time being. Maybe in a few decades, when you've both proved yourselves, if you still feel the same… But for now, don't get too friendly with her. You'll thank me for it eventually."

Trouble nodded slowly, his hands balled up into fists.

"Go on, then. Get out of here."

Trouble turned on his heel and left.

* * *

Holly was casually leaning against the wall in the lobby, pretending to be studying the Academy noticeboard. In reality, she was setting up an ambush. The target - one Trouble Kelp. 

She caught a flicker of green from the corner of her eye, and carefully arranged her face into what she hoped looked like an expression of pleased surprise.

"Flyboy," she said casually. "Hey. Still here?"

Emotions flickered over Trouble's features, first surprise and the beginnings of a smile. Then he frowned, his face darkening. He shrugged carelessly.

"Yeah. Slate called me behind. I'll see you tomorrow, Short." He raised a hand and turned his back on her.

"Hey, wait," called Holly, surprised. She followed him out the Academy doors. "Trouble? Is something wrong?" She tentatively laid a hander on his shoulder.

Trouble roughly shook it off. He turned his head a little over his shoulder, his face cast in shadows. "I'm fine. Just leave me alone, Short."

He turned away and strode down the steps, hands jammed into his pockets. Holly stood frozen, watching his retreating back.

_What did I do?_

* * *

"And then," said Holly, through a mouthful of chocolate, "he just walked away. I wanted to call after him, but I didn't know what to say. What the hell do you say at a moment like that?" 

Bryony thought about it, chewing on a coffee cream. "No idea," she confessed. "It's not really a position I've ever found myself in. Have some more chocolate. Best thing for unrequited love."

Holly reached over and grabbed a handful of chocolates from the tray. "What's up with him, anyway? He was all nice and friendly earlier, then suddenly he's gone arctic. Was it something I did?"

"You know what I think? I think that he just realised that you weren't some bimbo that'll put out for him every time he snaps his fingers. Tomorrow he'll be slinking round that Frond girl you mentioned, mark my words. Men. Who needs 'em, eh?"

"You really think so?"

"They're men, sweetie. Pigs, all of them."

Holly leant back onto the squishy old sofa cushions. "But I could've sworn he wasn't the type. He was different, Bryony. So different."

"He was probably just acting that way to win you over. He dropped the act once he realised that you have a personality. Not to mention a brain. Here, have a truffle. They're really good."

Holly took it from her and popped it into her mouth. "These taste really expensive. Where did you get them from, again?"

"Early presents for my womanhood ceremony. They've just started coming in. I've already received three blenders. It's a good thing you like nettle smoothies." Bryony sat back on her heels. "One week, Holly. Then I'm officially grown up. It's come around so soon. I don't feel ready."

Holly reached over and wrapped her arms around her best friend. "You'll be fine, Bryony. You just have to have a little more faith in yourself".

Bryony chuckled. "Look who's talking".

Holly grinned. "So, have you chosen a name yet?"

"I've got one in mind. But you're going to have to wait like everyone else, Attendant or no".

"Aww, Bryony, that's so…. Wait. Did you just say…?"

"Yep. You're my oldest, bestest friend. For ever and ever, remember? Who else would I pick to be my Attendant at my ceremony?"

Holly squealed in delight and hugged her again.

"Don't get too excited. You haven't seen the dress, yet."

Holly drew back, eyeing her friend suspiciously. "Dress? Wait. You're going to take full advantage of this, aren't you?"

Bryony gave a low, evil laugh. "Wait and see, my friend. Wait and see."

* * *

**A/N **

Okay. Hands up everyone who thinks that I need a real boyfriend!

But he's just so... Trubsy. You know?

Anyway, this will develope some semblance of a plot soon, I promise! I hope you guys all like this chapter. Let me know what I can do to improve it, pretty please!

A quick note on the adulthood ceremonies. Eoin has never really described them, so I took a lot of creative license and basically invented my own version. An Attendant is sorta like a maid of honour or a best man. They're a very close friend you've had since childhood. They help welcome their friend into their new life as a adult. But you'll learn all of this in the next chapter!

So, You know where the review box is, dontcha? Go on, click it! Or you can e-mail me. I'd love to hear from you. We can drool over Trouble together! ;)

I'll see you all soon(ish)!

love, Indy :)


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